Alastair Cook might have a tough decision to make should England lose to India today yet if he is searching for evidence that he can be a successful cricketer again, he need look no further than the greatest batsman of the modern era.

Sachin Tendulkar led India from 1996 to 2000 before he concluded that the captaincy was having a poor effect on the team. While his own form remained strong, India won only four of 25 Tests when he was in charge.

It was a spectacularly smart decision, as Tendulkar continued for 13 more years, finishing with 51 Test hundreds and playing an astonishing 200 matches. Tendulkar has retired and is not part of this Indian squad but were he to speak to Cook, he might show him these figures to prove that there is life after leadership.

Defeat at Lord’s would leave Cook and his employers with a decision to make. Cook’s England have not won a Test since last August, when they beat Australia at Durham to clinch the Ashes. Since then, there has been the 5-0 whitewash in the return series Down Under and a 1-0 loss at home to Sri Lanka in June.

Should India prevail here, as they began the day favourites to do, it would be a new low. The conditions were ideal for England to push for victory, especially after they won the toss. During the first four days, however, they were outplayed again.

This is a decent India team, but only Ishant Sharma and MS Dhoni had experience of Test cricket in this country before the Investec Series. They had not won any of their previous 15 Tests overseas. Even if England somehow managed to pull off their record successful run chase at this ground, it would not answer the questions about Cook’s form, or his ability to inspire the team.

Possible successors come with caveats. Ian Bell is experienced and has an intelligent cricket mind but is in poor form. Joe Root has hardly any top-level captaincy experience. Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have enough on their plate maintaining their own form and fitness. Eoin Morgan would surely be a better tactician than Cook yet at the moment, he does not deserve a place as a batsman.

If only there were a player like Sourav Ganguly, who succeeded Tendulkar in 2000. Under Ganguly, India became a tougher, more competitive side, and his work was admired across the cricket world.

Now a television pundit, Ganguly warned Cook that, if he decided to remain as captain, certain aspects of the job would only become more difficult.

Ganguly told Standard Sport: “Captaincy is never easy. The longer you are in the job, the tougher it becomes and everyone gets used to that.

“It is a stress and a strain. It’s not an easy job but you just have to do it and do the best you can. The important thing as a captain is that you have to realise you have been given a responsibility, and that you have to do it to the best of your ability.

“You will be criticised, that is part and parcel of it, but you just have to deal with it and move on.

“The thing you should do when you leave the field, you should speak to yourself and know that you’ve done everything you could for the good of the team.

“I don’t think you drop captains on the basis of one game. If the England and Wales Cricket Board think Cook is the future, they should make sure he carries on.”

Another reason to doubt Cook is this: does he have the personality to impose himself on players, like Broad and Anderson, who were simply team-mates and equals when Andrew Strauss was captain? It is noticeable that the new players, like Moeen Ali, Gary Ballance and Liam Plunkett have spoken highly of Cook. He has seemed unable to pull rank on Broad and Anderson at times, with the new-ball pair apparently at liberty to set their own fields and, sometimes, decide their own bowling tactics.

Ganguly continued: “I was still friends with team-mates even when I was captain of India, but you just have to understand that you’re leading the team and you have to do certain things. They understand it as well.

“I was just one of them but they were pretty clear about what I wanted. With a bowler you have to be firm, tell him what you want but also understand what he’s trying to do.

Memorable Test matches between England and India

Memorable Test matches between England and India

1/7
1971 - The Oval

For the first time ever, India won a Test match on English soil. Fans surged onto the pitch in celebration before the winning shot had even crossed the boundary.

2/7
1976 - Delhi

Captain Tony Greig masterminded England's first victory in India since the Second World War. It remains one of England's greatest performances against the Indians.

3/7
1980 - Mumbai

Ian Botham stole the show in a one-off Test in Mumbai, taking 6 for 58 and 7 for 48, as well as adding 114 with the bat.

4/7
1993 - Mumbai

After a strong first innings of the third Test of England's 1992-93 tour of India, The hosts hit back with force. Vinod Kambli's 224 went a long way to helping India claim the Test by an innings and 15 runs, completing a 3-0 series whitewash.

5/7
2007 - Trent Bridge

After staving off defeat in the first Test at Lord's on the final day, India turned up at Trent Bridge and produced one of their finest performances on English soil. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored with 91 as the tourists posted 481 to wrestle control of the match in their first innings. The Indians eventually won the Test by seven wickets on the final day. The result would prove decisive as India went on to win the three-match series.

6/7
2008 - Chennai

Tendulkar was again the hero as India successfully chased a monumental target to win by six wickets. The little master hit 103 not out as the hosts chalked up the 387 runs needed for victory. It remains the highest fourth-innings Test total ever recorded in Chennai and ranks among the highest successful fourth-innings chases ever.

7/7
2011 - Edgbaston

Alastair Cook hit 294 as England made 710 - 7 declared - their third-highest Test total ever. Big knocks from Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan also helped the cause after the hosts had bowled out the Indians for just 224. England eventually won by an innings and 242 runs before Tea on day four.

“You also have to try to help him and make it easy. It’s an understanding that you need to develop, and that builds with time and trust.

“Alastair is a good human being who comes across well, but he is in that cycle where he is not scoring runs. It happens to the best players. Alastair will score runs again.”

Most observers appear sure of that. About his long-term future as captain, however, there is considerably less certainty.